Tel Aviv Beaches: A Photographic Guide​
Tel Aviv is a city that grew with its back to the sea, turning to face it only later on, and yet, it's hard to imagine its identity without the 13 beaches that line its coast for 14 kilometers, from the Herzliya border in the north to the Bat Yam border in the south. I've been photographing these beaches for years, coming to them not only as a photographer but also as an architect who studies space: how the sea meets the city, how lifeguards, matkot paddles, and parasols become a visual language of their own, and how each beach, Gordon, Frishman, Hilton, Metzitzim, Tel Baruch, and more, tells a different story about the neighborhood behind it. In this guide you'll find many photographs of the beaches from recent years, alongside texts and maps about each one. The guide grew out of my book Tel Aviv Beaches, but it's also an invitation: to go out and see this city from the angle I know it best.
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Maps: Liron Levin | Texts: Dan Ronen | Photography: Ido Biran
Beach #1 - Givat Aliya Beach, Jaffa
The southernmost beach in the city and Jaffa’s only official beach is named after the nearby Givat Aliyah neighborhood and is also known as ‘Arches Beach’, after the kurkar arches that adorn its entrance. Thanks to its crescent-shaped natural form and relative distance from the city center, the beach has the feel of a small, family-friendly, and peaceful place. Alongside local Jaffa residents and fishermen, it is also frequented by Tel Aviv residents who head south to enjoy a different atmosphere.
Givat Aliya Beach entrance, Jaffa (2025)
A view from the sea of the Kurkar Arches at Givat Aliya Beach, Jaffa (2025)
Renting sunbeds, Givat Aliya Beach, Jaffa (2025)
Sailboats next to Givat Aliya Beach, Jaffa (2025)
Givat Aliya Beach, Jaffa. Bat Yam in the background (2026)
Beach #2 - Charles Clore Beach
The beach next to Charles Clore Park is also known as ‘Manta Ray Beach’, named after the iconic seaside restaurant that
operated here from 1998 to 2025, and it attracts a diverse crowd. It’s the place where Jaffa and nearby Neve Tzedek
residents come, bathers who want to escape the bustle of the central beaches, dog owners who can let their pets off-leash,
and surfers who enjoy one of the city’s few beaches without a breakwater. The beach’s location on the border between Tel Aviv and Jaffa offers visitors a stunning view of Old Jaffa and has, over the years, made it a popular spot for wedding photography at sunset.
Sunset on Old Jaffa - As seen from Charles Clore Beach (2016)
Matkot game at Charles Clore Beach (2017)
Charles Clore Beach - Tel Aviv hotel strip in the background (2025)
Charles Clore Beach lifeguard station (2023)
Charles Clore Beach next to Old Jaffa (2023)
Charles Clore Beach on Saturday - Old Jaffa in the background (2025)
Charles Clore Beach - Frame of Tel Aviv - Jaffa (2023)
Beach #3 - Aviv-Geula Beach
Aviv Beach was formerly known by several names, including 'Drummers’ Beach', after the circles of drummers who gathered here every Friday, and 'Dolphinarium Beach', after the complex that stood adjacent to it and remained abandoned for decades. After the Dolphinarium was demolished in 2018, a continuous connection was created for the first time between the central promenade and the Charles Clore Promenade, and a community watersports center with a viewing platform opened there, becoming a popular date spot. Following the change, the lifeguard station was moved from Aviv Beach to the nearby Geula Beach, which became an official beach and is especially popular with kitesurfing enthusiasts.
Sunset at Aviv Beach (2024)
Aviv Beach - New Café (2026)
Aviv Beach Parasols (2025)
Aviv Beach & Geula Beach - Tel Aviv hotel strip in the background (2024)
Aviv Beach - Old Jaffa in the background (2025)
Geula Beach next to Aviv Beach (2025)
Tel Aviv hotel strip - As seen from Aviv Beach (2024)
Aviv Beach - 'Catching a Wave' (2024)
Beach #4 - Jerusalem Beach
The first official beach of Tel Aviv, welcoming visitors since 1924. In the past, the Galei Aviv Casino and the Kesem Cinema
operated near the beach. The cinema also served as the home of the first Knesset (The Israeli Parliament) and later became
the city's first opera house. And what's the connection to Jerusalem? The beach's original name was Allenby Beach, but
in 1987 it was renamed as a gesture by Tel Aviv mayor Shlomo Lahat ('Chich') to Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek, marking 20
years since the reunification of the capital.
Jerusalem Beach lifeguard station (2025)
Lahat Promenade next to Jerusalem Beach (2017)
Lahat Promenade next to Jerusalem Beach (2025)
Jerusalem Beach on Saturday (2025)
Playing footvolley at Jerusalem Beach (2025)
The sculpture 'Beyond the Limit' next to Jerusalem (Trumpeldor) Beach (2017)
Israel - USA flag at Jerusalem Beach (2025)
Beach #5 - Bugrashov Beach
One of the most popular beaches among locals and tourists alike. Beyond swimming or sunbathing, the beach also
offers a glimpse into the past - there is a memorial on site commemorating those killed on the ship ‘Altalena’, which was
sunk nearby in 1948. At the far end of the beach, close to Frishman Beach, stands a sculpture of David Ben-Gurion doing a
headstand. The statue is a tribute to Israel's first Prime Minister, who used to finish every beach workout this way, on the advice of his therapist, Moshe Feldenkrais, who would later become the founder of the Feldenkrais Method.
Bugrashov Beach (2017)
Bugrashov Beach - Tel Aviv hotel strip in the background (2015)
'Cruising the Promenade' next to Bugrashov Beach (2017)
Target Popsicle at Bugrashov Beach (2016)
Bugrashov Beach lifeguard station (2024)
David Ben-Gurion sculpture next to Bugrashov Beach (2025)
'Taking the Dog for a Ride' Next to Bugrashov Beach (2017)
Israel flag at Bugrashov Beach (2017)
Beach #6 - Frishman Beach
Frishman Beach is easy to spot - it sits right across from the Dan Hotel, whose colorful façade was designed by artist Yaacov Agam, and it's usually packed with tourists from around the world. But back in the 1950s, the beach drew a different crowd entirely - the country's first surfers. During those years, the lifeguard team at the beach connected with an American
doctor, Dr. Dorian Paskowitz, who sparked their passion for surfing. Before long, the lifeguards, led by Shamai Kancepolsky
(‘Topsea’), became not only the first surfers, but also the country's first surfboard makers.
'The Big Beach Chairs Tel Aviv' next to Frishman Beach (2023)
Lahat Promenade next to Frishman Beach (2026)
Dan Hotel facade next to Frishman Beach (2024)
Lahat Promenade and Frishman Beach (2026)
Surfers walking at Lahat Promenade next to Frishman Beach (2019)
Fixie Bicycle at Lahat Promenade next to Frishman Beach (2014)
'Romantic Date' next to Frishman Beach (2015)
Surfer at Frishman Beach (2023)
Shoko Banana Popsicle at Frishman Beach (2015)
Beach #7 - Gordon Beach
Beyond the wide range of activities it's known for: beach volleyball, foot volley, surfing, matkot, and even folk dancing,
Gordon Beach is also recognized for its proximity to several of the city's well-known landmarks. Nearby, you'll find the
legendary Gordon Pool, operating since 1956, as well as the Tel Aviv Marina and Atarim Square, both established in the 1970s. The beach also features memorial sites for peace activist Abie Nathan's radio station ‘The Voice of Peace’, which broadcast from 1973 to 1993 from a ship anchored several kilometers offshore, and a grove of palm trees planted in memory of Roy Peles, a Tel Aviv resident and beach volleyball player who fell during operation 'Protective Edge' in 2014.
'Romantic Seats' at Gordon Beach (2014)
Gordon Beach - The northern beach of Tel Aviv's central coastline (2014)
Gordon Beach on Saturday (2024)
'Fly' next to Gordon Beach (2017)
'Pink Sunset' at Gordon Beach (2014)
Hostages Flag at Gordon Beach (2025)
Gordon Swimming Pool from above (2017)
Beach #8 - Hilton Beach
Named after the Hilton Hotel built nearby in 1965, the beach is divided into three strips, each attracting a different crowd:
the southern strip is considered the city's leading surf beach, thanks to excellent wave conditions, with surf clubs and special lighting for night surfing. The middle strip has become the official beach of the LGBTQ community, and the northern strip draws dog owners, who can let their four-legged walkers (and runners and swimmers) off the leash.
Hilton Tel Aviv Hotel next to Hilton Beach (2026)
Surfing of the southern strip at Hilton Beach (2014)
'A Triangle of Colors' at Hilton Beach (2023)
LGBTQ Beach at Hilton Beach (2014)
Dogs area at Hilton Beach (2025)
Dogs area at Hilton Beach (2025)
Dogs area at Hilton Beach (2025)
Hilton Beach lifeguard station (2017)
Beach #9 - Nordau Beach
The only beach in Tel Aviv designated for the religious population, also known as the ‘Religious Beach’ or the ‘Separated Beach’. To maintain modesty, the beach is fenced off on the north and south sides, and on weekdays, it operates with genderseparated bathing: on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, the beach is open to men only; on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, it is open to women only. On Saturdays, the beach is open to everyone. The beach has operated in this format since the 1990s, and recently, a proposal has been raised to relocate it north of HaTzuk Beach to allow the religious orthodox community to enjoy a wider beach strip while maintaining an uninterrupted stretch of open beaches in Tel Aviv.
Nordau Beach on Saturday (2014)
Nordau Beach on Saturday (2014)
Nordau Beach lifeguard station (2025)
Nordau Beach on Saturday - Tel Aviv hotel strip and Marina Tel Aviv in the background (2025)
Two Surfers next to Nordau Beach (2014)
Beach #10 - Metzitzim Beach
The beach near Tel Aviv Port is named after the cult film 'Metzitzim', directed by Uri Zohar. The film, in which Zohar also
stars alongside Arik Einstein, was released in 1972 and tells the story of a group of friends who refuse to grow up and spend most of their time at the beach. In real life, too, the beach was the hangout spot for Zohar, Einstein, and their companions from the 'Lool' group - a collective of artists active mainly in Tel Aviv in the early 1970s who had a profound influence on Israeli culture. Before 'Metzitzim', the beach had two other names: ‘Zvulun Beach’, after the Zvulun Naval School that operated there, and later ‘Sheraton Beach’ after the hotel built nearby in 1961 and demolished in 1990.
Metzitzim Beach lifeguard station (2014)
Metzitzim Beach on Saturday (2017)
Metzitzim Beach Café (2025)
Beach volleyball tournament at Metzitzim Beach (2017)
Metzitzim Beach next to Tel Aviv Port, Reading Power Station in the background (2017)
'Best Show in Town' at Metzitzim Beach (2015)
Metzitzim Beach Café (2025)
Beach #11 - Tel Baruch Beach
The beach that opened for swimming in the 1940s was named after the Tel Baruch neighborhood, which, though located
3 km away, was at the time the closest neighborhood to it. Today, new neighborhoods have sprung up around the beach,
and it's surrounded by a long promenade connecting it to the Tel Aviv Port, as well as a kurkar ridge declared a nature reserve, with a walking trail linking it to Hatzuk Beach. The beach itself is home to the city's first breakwater, which still stands today and keeps the sea calm, making it ideal for families.
Renting sunbeds, Tel Baruch Beach (2025)
Tel Baruch Beach on Saturday (2025)
Tel Baruch Beach - The southern strip (2025)
Tel Baruch Beach - The northern strip (2025)
Tel Baruch Beach - Herzliya in the background (2025)
Beach #12,13 - HaTzuk Beaches
The northernmost beach in Tel Aviv, especially popular with families, is divided into two sections, northern and southern,
each with its own lifeguard station. In 2023, the Park HaHof Promenade was inaugurated, forming part of the Israel
National Trail and connecting Tel Baruch Beach to the beach. This created, for the first time, a continuous walking and cycling path along all of Tel Aviv-Jaffa's beaches: from the HaTzuk Beaches in the north all the way to Givat Aliya Beach in the south - or the other way around.
HaTzuk Beach South on Saturday (2025)
HaTzuk Beaches on Saturday - Herzliya in the background (2025)
HaTzuk Beach South (2025)
HaTzuk Beach North - Herzliya in the background (2025)
Playing Matkot at HaTzuk Beach North (2025)
Cherry Popsicle at HaTzuk Beach North (2026)